2000
#6,846
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,525
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.68
Rare Last name
Brashear
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of brass goods or brass armor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,185 Americans carry the last name Brashear. That puts it at #7,124 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 66,105 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Brashear surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
5.2K
1 in 66,105
Census rank
#7,124
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,522 bearers of the surname Brashear in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7124th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Brashear, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Brashear
The surname Brashear is of English origin, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Brashey or Brassiere in Lincolnshire, England. The name may have evolved from the Old English words "braec" meaning "newly cultivated land" and "ey" meaning "island."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hearth Tax Returns of 1674 for Lincolnshire, which mentions a John Brashear. The Brashear family is also documented in the parish records of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, in the late 17th century.
During the 18th century, some members of the Brashear family migrated to the American colonies. One notable figure was John Brashear (1840-1920), an American astronomer and instrument maker from Pennsylvania. He is renowned for his contributions to the development of telescopes and other scientific instruments.
In the 19th century, the name Brashear appeared in various records across the United States. Joseph Brashear (1837-1912) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War, and later became a prominent businessman in Kentucky.
Another notable individual was Mary Brashear (1836-1917), an American author and advocate for women's rights. She was one of the founders of the Pittsburgh Equal Rights Association and played a significant role in the suffrage movement in Pennsylvania.
In the early 20th century, Charles Brashear (1879-1957) was a pioneering African American lawyer and civil rights activist in California. He was the first African American to be elected to the Pasadena City Board of Education and worked tirelessly to promote equal rights and opportunities for all citizens.
While the surname Brashear has its roots in England, it has since spread globally and can be found in various parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of those who bore this name throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Brashear
Among Census respondents with the surname Brashear, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Brashear bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Brashear surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 3,840
- Two or more races4.8% · 219
- Black or African American4.6% · 206
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 186
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Brashear
Brashear appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,622
+97 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 375 places
2020
#7,124
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,522
-100 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Up 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,846 | 4,525 | 1.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,221 | 4,622 | 1.57 | +97 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 375 places |
| 2020 | #7,124 | 4,522 | 1.51 | -100 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 97 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Brashear surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,221 | #7,124 | 1.3% |
| Count | 4,622 | 4,522 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.57 | 1.51 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Brashear bearers went from 4,622 to 4,522 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,221 to #7,124.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Brashear
FAQ
Brashear surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Brashear?
Name Census estimates that about 5,185 living Americans carry the surname Brashear. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 66,105 residents.
How common is Brashear?
Brashear ranks #7,124 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,522 people with the surname Brashear. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,185), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Brashear.
Has Brashear become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Brashear went from 4,622 recorded bearers to 4,522. That is a decrease of 100 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,221 to #7,124.
What does the Census say about the background of Brashear?
Among Census respondents with the surname Brashear, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Brashear in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (3,840 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Brashear appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Black (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Brashear (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Brashear mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of brass goods or brass armor. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Brashear (1.51 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Brashear?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.